FINDSPARK COMMUNITY SUCCESS STORIES

Mohammad Bolatero, Digital Marketing / Social Media Intern at Two TreesCommunity member and Hustle Summit Fellow Mohammad found out about the internship at Two Trees through the FindSpark job board. He applied and eventually got the job!

September 29, 2016

Kaila Kane, PR Intern at ASTRSKPR
Hustle Summit Fellow Kaila applied to ASTRSK PR through the FindSpark job board, and was offered an accelerated internship at the company with the potential to become an Assistant Account Executive. She says, "I started participating in FindSpark events/webinars in January, and two months later I can say that I've found a job and am officially moving to New York!"

March 22, 2017

Christina Waterman, Associate Producer for the Shorty Awards
Christina, a Hustle Summit Scholar, used the FindSpark job board to apply for a freelance position at the Shorty Awards and got the job! She was recently brought on full-time.

March 22, 2017

Matthew Reich, Film Marketing Intern at Allied Integrated Marketing
FindSpark member Matthew attended Hustle Summit in New York City, where he met with reps from Allied Integrated Marketing. He was later hired as their newest Film Marketing Intern!

April 4, 2017

Tiffany Hui, Content Manager, Global Emerging Accounts at BrandwatchTiffany attended Hustle Summit in New York City with her sister Melissa, a longtime member and Hustle Summit Fellow. She connected with Brandwatch at the event, and got the job a few months later!

April 4, 2017

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The Dos and Donts of Film & TV Networking Events

Events provide a great way to network with people in your industry, and to make connections that can lead to job opportunities. That’s why we partnered with Eventbrite for their Blogger Tour, so that we would be able to attend events like Tekserve’sCreate Now: The Future of Post Production, to help shed some light on how to make the most of industry-specific functions.

If you’re looking to pursue a career in the film and television industry, it can be quite daunting to attend industry events. Here are some tips to help get your foot in the door, and meet people in your industry that can lead you to a job:

DO your research. Attending a roadshow? Know what vendors will be in attendance? Do a Google search of recent company news. Be prepared to talk about current industry trends.

DON’T feel embarrassed if you don’t know something. Events like these are for people to learn about innovative new programs and software. Have experience in Final Cut at a Premiere Pro-sponsored event? Don’t fret. Ask people about their experience and why they work with that program/equipment, etc. Learn from them.

DO ask people about their work: what they’ve produced in the past & what they’re working on now.

DON’T talk exclusively about yourself and your projects.

DO bring business cards. A lot of people who attend industry networking events are freelancers. You never know what connections you’ll make.

DON’T explicitly sell yourself. Make connections, listen to people, ask questions but don’t interrupt. Don’t pitch your services every chance that you get: focus on making organic connections and the opportunity to find work will come naturally. If it doesn’t, having professional contacts in this competitive industry isn’t a bad thing.

DO follow up after the event. Meet someone who’s work you found intriguing? Have your chat with a potential contact get cut short? Reach out to request a coffee meet up. Make sure to mention what event you met them at, maybe include a bit of information to trigger their memory of who you are. Be respectful: express your interest in meeting with them to pick their brains on their experience in the industry.

DON’T be pushy. Express your gratitude when requesting information interviews, but realize that most production people work 50-60 hour work weeks and their free time is limited. Be flexible – work around their schedule. If they’re not available now, follow up in a few weeks.

We’ll be attending events throughout New York City this summer and providing tips on the best ways to network yourself and meet new people. Follow #briteblogger to see where we end up. And make sure to share any tips we missed about making the most out of industry-related events with us in the comments.

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This post is sponsored by Eventbrite NYC. Eventbrite enables people all over the world to plan, promote, and sell out any event. It’s also a destination for people to discover awesome events going on in THEIR city! Whatever your desires, hobbies, or interests – from photography workshops and wine classes to food festival and industry conferences, there’s an event on Eventbrite for you to attend! Keep up on the goings-on in The City That Never Sleeps by following Eventbrite NYC on Twitter, or liking them on Facebook! Planning an event? Go ahead and create an account to get started.

About FindSpark

FindSpark is a community dedicated to setting up young professionals for career success and connecting employers to top, diverse young professional talent.

Since forming in 2011, FindSpark has become the largest Meetup group for interns and recent grads in the country, hosting over 250 events for more than 25,000 members.

FindSpark is proud to be a certified Women-Owned Business Enterprise (WBE).

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MCG Social is a boutique social media and events agency with a millennial touch. Find out why clients like Dylan's Candy Bar, Zynga, and First Mark Capital hire us to create engaging content, IRL and online. Learn more at mcgsocial.me.